Photos: How famous Vancouver landmarks got their names

Arthur Laing Bridge: Travel to YVR became easier when the Arthur Laing Bridge opened. It reduced the distance from downtown to the airport by more than three kilometres. Traffic began using the bridge Aug. 27, 1975, but the official opening was May 15, 1976. Arthur Laing was born in 1904 in Eburne, near the south end of the bridge. By 1949 he was the Liberal MP for Vancouver South. He later became the leader of the Liberal Party in B.C., and still later entered federal politics. He was Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources, then Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, next Minister of Public Works and finally Minister of Veterans' Affairs. In 1972, he was appointed to the Senate. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau announced in 1974 that the bridge would be named after Laing. The original plan had been to call it the Hudson Street Bridge. Laing died at 70 on Feb. 13, 1975, while the bridge was still under construction. His wife Geraldine Laing unveiled a plaque at the opening ceremony, where tribute was paid to her husband.